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Petnet Software Balances Diets For Cats & Dogs

Posted by Ron Callari on August 31, 2016

Pet owners often struggle with dietary issues, as to just how much they should feed Socks and Fido? After all, most cats and dogs will eat as often as you put food in front of them. Overweight for them is just a fact of life, shifting the potential threat of obesity to fall squarely on the shoulders of their masters.

Survey Says . . .

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention looked into issue and posted some alarming results in 2014. Two years ago, they determined that 52.7% of U.S. dogs are overweight or obese, and an estimated 57.9% percent of cats that reside in the States also suffer from the same condition.

Tech Solution

However today, pet owners do have a resource to help them grapple with this issue. Petnet launched its technology in 2013 for purpose of taking the uncertainty out of what and how often to feed our cats and dogs. CEO and co-founder Carlos Herrera feels their products will help owners get their pets on a healthy diet regimen.

“A lot of people have trouble figuring out what to buy their pets, what particular food to buy their pets, and when it comes to pouring the food, they have trouble figuring out how much to feed their pets,” Herrera explained in an interview. “So at the consumer level that’s what we’re about. is to answer those questions: ‘What do i need for my pet, in its stage of life.’ because the needs for your pet change over time.”

The system Herrera and his team devised works off a network of veterinarian-approved data, which reacts with local sensors that actually determine what a consumer should purchase, as well as how much and how often.

Available at a Store near you . . .

Now, as a result a $10 million Series A fund round of funding, Petnet is expanding both its distribution and its product line. The existing Petnet SmartFeeder will now be sold at Petco retail locations and online (one of the firm’s major investors), in addition to Best Buy, where available. Additionally, Petnet’s ‘SmartBowl’ introduced at CES this year will be sold exclusively via Petco. This is the device, which provides notifications to a user about when they’ve poured the right amount of food for their cats and dogs. It currently retails for $149 online.

In a recent Techcrunch report, it was noted that the funding would also expand the reach of Petnet’s existing product line nationwide, where the Petco distribution arrangement will help considerably. This means the firm will be able to expand into areas of pet care outside of feeding. In the same announcement, he affirmed the company overall is about providing a “personalized pet care experience,” which appropriately includes more than just food.

Your thoughts readers? Are Petnet's products a god-send, or do you have other options available to help prevent over-eating and obesity with your pets?